Meet Mark and Chad

This month we celebrate the dads behind Origin Coffee & Tea in Rocklin. The non-profit coffee house is a fresh idea in fundraising and activism. Entirely volunteer-run, Origin is channeling locals’ java habit into a steady stream of support for the modern-day abolitionist movement.

< Chad Salstrom (in the dark blue shirt) and Mark South—the dads behind Origin Coffee & Tea—celebrated the nonprofit's grand opening in Rocklin on January 22.

Meet Mark South & Chad Salstrom

 Origin Coffee & Tea in Rocklin looks and feels a lot like a typical coffee house. Baristas pull shots and steam milk behind the counter while the scent of fresh-ground coffee fills the air and bags of beans line nearby shelves. But the business plan for this café is anything but business as usual. The non-profit coffee house is entirely volunteer-run, and its proceeds are devoted not to its own bottom line but to ending the exploitation of children. As awareness of the modern-day slave trade grows, we wanted to celebrate the dads serving up this fresh idea in activism.

Long Beach natives, Mark and Kristy moved the family to Rocklin in 2008. “Moving here was a great change,” says Mark. “I love being centrally located between mountains and sea.  I love that families and especially kids are taken into consideration in city planning and in local interests. My wife loves the trees and the seasons.” But “more than any of those things,” Mark says it’s the people who have impressed him.

Chad Salstrom (Origin’s General Manager) and his wife, Janelle, live in Roseville with their two daughters (ages 6 and 3) and little boy (1½). As Chad explains, their passion for this project is fueled, in part, by their experience as fathers. “After hearing the staggering numbers and stories of sex trafficking, we asked ourselves, ‘What would we do if these were our children?’” While the urge to jump on a plane and start kicking down doors was strong, he and Mark knew that to have a real and lasting impact, they would need to create a steady stream of support and involve lots of people.

“Everyone wants to help,” says Mark, “but very few know how, and most of us don’t have thousands of dollars to send. I wanted to make it accessible for anyone—out came Origin Coffee.” Originally, their vision drew plenty of second-guessing from skeptics, but as things took shape, Mark and Chad found abundant support in the community.

“Many people have sacrificed much to make this a reality,” Chad says. “I am so grateful to live in an area where so many people are willing to give so much in order to change the lives of children they will likely never meet. There are many loving and giving people in our community.” In that spirit of team work, Chad and Mark naturally wanted to share the Dad Next Door page, and we were more than happy to oblige them with our first joint Q & A:

The best part of being a dad is…

Chad: coming home and hearing your kids yell, “Daddy!”

Mark: My kids tackle me for hugs every night when I come home… Getting from the door to kiss my wife is difficult with kids hanging off each arm and one holding onto each leg—I love it.

The toughest part of parenthood is…

C: trying to reason with your child in the middle of the night, like explaining why she doesn’t need to be afraid of rattlesnakes in her room. (Happened last week.)

M: the spills—hands down. It’s not because I’m a clean freak, but how many spills in a day are reasonable? Whatever the number, add 12, and then you understand the craziness at our house.

Nothing makes me laugh like…

C: my middle daughter. Everything she does.

Hardly anybody knows I…

M: tried out for Survivor, Season 2.

If I could choose any superpower, I’d pick…

C: the ability to freeze time, so I could soak in what is happening.

M: the ability to turn anything into bacon.

When I need to relieve stress, I head straight for…

C: a nap.

M: a favorite restaurant with the family. Restaurants are magical. Suddenly I’m in Italy, or on a tropical island, and my food just appears on my table while I enjoy buffalo wings.  Can’t beat that.

My favorite parenting “trick” for motivating the kids is…

C: joining them in what is asked of them—being willing to lead alongside, rather than push.

M: maybe a surprise family night out or time playing Wii, or a random pajama day. We don’t bribe our kids, yet they know that attitude, fighting, undone chores or unfinished school work will keep us from being able to do these things, so they are more likely to take care of the things we have asked of them.

Life has taught me…

M: nothing is by accident.

Click here to learn more about Origin Coffee & Tea, including how you can volunteer.
And if you know a local mom or dad you’d like other readers to meet, e-mail This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it